Savanna/Transcript
Transcript Text reads: The Mysteries of Life with Tim and Moby A boy, Tim, and a robot, Moby, are walking on the African savanna. Tim is dressed in a T-shirt. It is snowing. TIM: I'm really cold. Moby hands Tim a sheet of paper. Tim reads from a typed letter. TIM: Dear Tim and Moby, What's the savanna like? From, Hunter. Savannas are usually grasslands scattered with shrubs and trees. Moby opens a control panel on his arm and presses a button. Tim and Moby are teleported to a park with trees, flowers, and a bench. TIM: No, no, no. Savanna grass is three to six feet high. You know, elephants, zebras, and whatnot? Moby presses the button on his arm again, and the two are teleported to an African savanna. TIM: That's better. Most savannas are found in tropical latitudes, so they're pretty warm year-round. A world map illustrates the locations of Earth's largest savannas. They are all located between thirty degrees north latitude and thirty degrees south latitude. TIM: The largest savannas in the world are in Africa. The map shows Africa's savannas. TIM: Probably the most well-known is the Serengeti, in Tanzania. The map shows the location of the Serengeti. TIM: Summers in the savanna last from six to eight months, and they're really— There is a burst of thunder, and rain begins to fall. An umbrella pops out of the top of Moby's head and shields them both. TIM: Wet. Every year the savannah can get over fifty inches of rain. Sometimes it all comes down in one- two- or three-week period during the rainy season. And since the ground is so hard, a lot of that rain collects in ponds. A small animal floats by Tim's feet on a raft. TIM: These watering holes are vital to the savanna's wildlife during the hot, dry winter. An animation shows a gazelle drinking from a pond. TIM: Speaking of which, the savanna is home to a pretty amazing group of animals. Almost half the species here are mammals, including lions, zebras, giraffes, baboons, elephants, rhinoceroses, and gazelles. Images show each of the animals Tim names. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Yeah, pretty much all those cool animals you see in nature shows. A lion moves into view behind Tim and Moby. It growls. TIM: Whoa. Moby presses the button on his arm. Tim and Moby are teleported to another part of the savanna. There are several tall, thin trees, along with the savanna grass. TIM: During winter, savanna grasses dry out and die, becoming very flammable. Wildfires are common in winter, and are part of the reason savannas don't have many trees. Fire appears and spreads very quickly, setting grass and trees ablaze. MOBY: Beep. The fire continues blazing behind where Tim and Moby are standing. TIM: Yeah, grass grows back easily, but trees take a long time. Scientists think that if it weren't for the droughts and fires, savannas would be tropical rainforests. Moby presses the button on his arm. He and Tim are teleported to a dense forest. TIM: Large mammals like elephants and giraffes do their share of keeping tree growth in check, too. An elephant picks up Tim with its trunk. TIM: Use that button again, will you? I want to go back to my own biome. Category:BrainPOP Transcripts Category:BrainPOP Science Transcripts